You remember the first time you stepped into Peach's Castle. The music, that weirdly stretchy Mario face, the absolute freedom of 3D movement. It felt huge. But for a lot of us, the game ended after beating Bowser in the Sky with maybe 70 or 80 stars. We saw the credits roll and figured we'd seen it all.
Honestly? We hadn't.
Getting all Super Mario 64 stars—all 120 of them—is a completely different experience than just "beating" the game. It turns a charming platformer into a grueling, technical, and sometimes frustratingly brilliant scavenger hunt. If you're looking to actually 100% this masterpiece, you aren't just looking for shiny objects. You're mastering the physics of a game that basically invented the genre.
The Math of the 120 Stars
Let’s break down the numbers because they’re actually pretty elegant. The game is divided into 15 main courses. Each of those courses has 7 stars.
Do the math: $15 \times 7 = 105$.
Wait. Where are the other 15?
Those are the "Castle Secret Stars." They aren't tied to the main paintings. They’re hidden in the walls, given away by Toads, or tucked inside the Bowser sub-levels. You need every single one of them to see the "true" ending (and meet a certain green dinosaur on the roof).
The Main Courses: 105 Stars of Chaos
Each level follows a strict template, yet they feel worlds apart. You’ve got your six named missions, and then the "hidden" seventh star: the 100-coin challenge.
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- Bob-omb Battlefield: The tutorial that still kills people. Most people breeze through the Big Bob-omb fight, but the "Mario Wings to the Sky" star? That requires actual flight control, which is... touchy, to say the least.
- Whomp's Fortress: Small, compact, and dangerous. Falling off the edge is the main enemy here.
- Jolly Roger Bay: Where childhood water phobias began. That eel (Unagi) is still terrifying in 4K.
- Cool, Cool Mountain: Most of us remember racing the penguin, but few remember the sheer stress of the 100-coin star here, which usually involves a terrifying slide mid-run.
- Big Boo's Haunt: You have to find this one in the courtyard. It’s the only level that feels like a puzzle box.
- Hazy Maze Cave: The "Metal-Head Mario" star is the icon here, but the toxic maze is where runs go to die.
- Lethal Lava Land: It’s all about the volcano. If you don't use the shell to grab the 100-coin star, you’re making life way harder than it needs to be.
- Shifting Sand Land: Getting into the pyramid is easy. Staying alive inside while the sand rises? Not so much.
- Dire, Dire Docks: This is where the game gets "late-stage." You need the Vanish Cap to get through the gate.
- Snowman's Land: The Big Head is a jerk. He will blow you off the mountain if you don't hide behind the penguin.
- Wet-Dry World: This level is a vibe. The way you can change the water level by jumping into the painting at different heights is a mechanic I wish more modern games used.
- Tall, Tall Mountain: The "Mysterious Mountainside" slide is a classic "I hate this" moment for completionists.
- Tiny-Huge Island: Switching between sizes is cool, but Wiggler is a surprisingly tough boss for a Mario game.
- Tick Tock Clock: Everything depends on the clock hands when you jump in. Pro tip: Jump in at 12:00 to freeze time. It makes the 100-coin star actually possible.
- Rainbow Ride: The final test. It’s long. It’s slow. It’s entirely on magic carpets. One slip and you're back in the castle foyer.
The 15 Secret Stars Nobody Tells You About
This is where most people get stuck. If you're at 110 stars and can't find the rest, you probably missed these.
The Toad Stars: There are three Toads who just... give you stars. One is near Hazy Maze Cave, one is near the entrance to Tall, Tall Mountain, and one is right by the Tick Tock Clock. You have to talk to them after you’ve collected enough stars (usually around 20, 40, and 60 respectively).
The MIPS Rabbit: There’s a yellow rabbit in the basement. Catch him once at 15 stars. Catch him again at 50 stars. Two easy stars, but he’s slippery.
The Secret Slide: Inside the room with the 1-star door, jump into the stained glass on the right. Finish the slide for Star #1. Finish it in under 21 seconds for Star #2.
The Cap Levels: * Wing Cap: Look up at the sun in the main lobby.
- Metal Cap: Behind the waterfall in Hazy Maze Cave.
- Vanish Cap: Drain the moat outside and go into the wooden door.
Each of these has 8 red coins that spawn a star.
The Bowser Red Coins: Each of the three Bowser levels (Dark World, Fire Sea, Sky) has 8 red coins. People often skip these because they just want to fight the boss. Don't. You need them.
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The 100-Coin Grind: The Real Final Boss
Let's talk about the 100-coin stars. They are the most tedious part of getting all Super Mario 64 stars.
The rule is simple: collect 100 coins in a stage, and a star appears.
The catch? If the star appears in a place you can't reach (like in the middle of the air while you're falling), you’re screwed.
The best strategy is to do the Red Coin mission at the same time. Since Red Coins are worth 2 regular coins, they give you a massive head start. In levels like Rainbow Ride or Shifting Sand Land, you basically have to find every single coin to hit the mark. There is very little room for error.
Expert Tip: In Tiny-Huge Island, make sure you're in the "Huge" version of the island to get the most coins from the giant Goombas. Also, don't forget that Blue Coin switches are your best friend. They disappear fast, so map out your route before you stomp them.
Why Bother? The 120-Star Reward
So, you’ve suffered through the camera glitches. You’ve fallen off Rainbow Ride fifty times. What do you actually get?
Once you beat Bowser with all 120 stars, a cannon opens up in the castle courtyard. You can use it to shoot yourself onto the roof of the castle.
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Up there, you'll find Yoshi.
He doesn't join you for a level, which is a bit of a letdown for some. Instead, he gives you 100 lives (totally useless since you've finished the game) and an upgraded Triple Jump. The new jump has a sparkly effect and prevents you from taking fall damage.
It’s basically a "creative mode" reward. It lets you mess around with the physics without the penalty of dying. Plus, you get a special message from the developers and a slightly different ending screen.
How to Start Your 100% Run
If you’re pulling out your N64 or loading up 3D All-Stars on the Switch, don't just wander aimlessly.
- Knock out the easy ones first. Get the Toad stars and the Secret Slide stars as soon as they unlock.
- Master the movement. You need to know how to Long Jump ($Z + A$) and Side Flip (Run one way, flick the stick, and jump).
- Don't save the 100-coin stars for the end. It’s soul-crushing to do 15 of them in a row. Mix them into your regular play.
- Respect the camera. The Lakitu camera is the hardest enemy in the game. Use the C-buttons to keep it behind you, or you’ll walk off a ledge during a simple turn.
Getting every star isn't just about completion; it's about seeing the full scope of what Nintendo achieved in 1996. Even decades later, the level design holds up.
Next Steps for Your Completionist Run:
Start with Bob-omb Battlefield and don't leave until you have all 7 stars. Once you have that momentum, head to the basement and hunt down the MIPS rabbit immediately. Check your pause menu frequently to see which "Castle Secret Stars" you're still missing, as those are the ones that usually prevent people from hitting that 120 mark.